The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a memory module socket with a latch for locking a memory module received by the socket.
Computers comprise arrays of interconnected circuit boards. A memory module socket is mounted on a mother board for engaging a memory module thereby connecting the memory module with the mother board. The memory modules are first inserted into the memory module sockets at a first angle with low insertion forces but do not get engaged with contacts of the sockets. To achieve engagement, the memory modules are subsequently pivoted from the first angle to a second angle and then engage with the contacts of the sockets for achieving an electrical connection. However, the movement of an edge of the memory modules within the sockets causes contacts to resiliently deflect, whereby the memory module sockets require latches to lock the memory modules at the connecting position to prevent the memory modules from detachment. The prior art includes plastic latches and metal latches, but the plastic latches have a poor resilience and the metal latches are costly.
The combination of plastic and metal latches are shown in Taiwan Patent Application No. 84100813 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,004,429; 5,470,240; 5,074,800; 5,676561; 5,584,705; 5,676,555 and 5,695,354. Although the latches of the above patents provide good resilience and strength, the structures are complex. Furthermore, when an operator intends to release the lock between the latches and the memory module, damage to the latches due to overstress may result, since there is no structure in the prior art sockets which can prevent the latches from an undue deformation. In view of the above, an object of the subject invention is to provide a block to limit movement of the latch.
A further object of the subject invention is to provide a latch having good resilience and which is not easily broken.